Home » Watch » 06ITA World Championships in Torino » Torino Blog » Oct 3, 2006

Daddy’s Little Drama Queen

On a sultry Torino night already fraught with US fencing history, my baby decided to take a flying leap at fencing immortality. Of course, she couldn’t do it the easy way, the calm sit-back-in-your-seat-and-order-another-cappucino way…the way designed to not rupture her poor father’s cardiovascular system in a million places.

Not Daddy’s Little Drama Queen.

She started her quest for the Senior Women’s Saber World Championship in a sedate enough fashion, with workperson-like victories over Sassine of Canada and Hutchison of Great Britain in the rounds of 64 and 32. In the round of 16, she drew the often-tough Fedorkina of Russia, but bolted out to a comfortable 8-3 lead at the break. Perhaps sensing me beginning to return back down to a pulse rate typical of 100 meter sprinters at the finish line, Becca fiendishly allows Fedorkina a handful of points to bring the match back into contention before rallying to close out the contest. Up next is the #2 seed, Velikaia of Russia in the round of 8.

But wait, Velikaia is destroyed in the round of 16 by her younger teammate Diatchenko, who is fencing with an almost manic glare. Diatchenko and Becca met in the semi finals at the Junior World Championships in Korea, a match totally dominated by Becca. But in that contest, Diatchenko had a deer-in-the-headlights demeanor. Today, she has blood in her eye.

Sure enough, Diatchenko bolts out to a 6-1 lead with a series of relentless, savage attacks. A more considerate fencer might have knuckled under to the furious assault. Another fencer might have glanced at their parent hyperventilating into a paper bag and taken pity.

Not Daddy’s Little Drama Queen.

Becca peels off 7 straight points with a mix of attacks in preparation and parries of Diatchenko’s rushes to go into the break up 8-6. The two trade points back and forth for the next few minutes. I trade standing for fainting. If anyone asks, I was napping on the floor. That’s right, napping.

Becca takes a 14-12 lead and my tunnel vision seems to begin clearing. But only for a moment. Diatchenko attacks to bring it to 13-14, and then the two launch a simultaneous assault. Each fencer screams in victory. My aortic valve screams in agony. Is it now 14-all? The referee looks at the video replay, and immediately walks over to the FIE replay official. There is much discussion. Other referees are called to the screen. There is much discussion. Finally the referee returns to the strip. 15-13, point awarded to Becca. Who has just clawed her way into the USA’s first Senior World Championship medal?

Daddy’s Little Drama Queen.

Becca is followed into the semi-finals by American teammates Sada Jacobson and Mariel Zagunis. For some reason, I am followed into the Fencing Pictures video booth by Italian paramedics with intent expressions and a cart full of defibrillators. Before Monday night, the USA had never won an individual medal of any kind at the Senior World Championships. Tonight, the USA will bring home 3.

Mariel and Sada square off first. It’s immediately obvious to US Men’s Saber Team member Ivan Lee and myself in to announce booth that Mariel has found a tempo weakness to exploit against Sada out of the on-guard line. More than six times, Mariel steals tempo on simultaneous attacks, and Sada can’t seem to feel it. Sada loses the bout, but gains the distinction of winning the USA’s first ever Bronze medal in Championships history. Just like in the Olympics, it’s a bittersweet moment for the elder member of the US saber squad.

Up next, Becca faces an unheralded but fiesty Korean fencer, Hye Lim Kim. Kim was 48th last year in Leipzig, but notched a senior World Cup win in June, and carved her way into the semi-finals with a very close bout against the highly ranked Perrus of France.

On the very first point, Kim is awarded an attack after a very ostentatious search that has the crowd whistling. The referee looks at the strip side monitor and refuses to review. Kim is relentless, and has Becca back on her heels for much of the first half, going into the break up 8-6. My blood pressure is now about 130 over 300, and the paramedics begin grimly assembling oxygen bottles. For some reason, they think cardiac arrhythmia is a bad thing.

The two fight furiously, racing up and down the strip, sometimes taking four and five turns of attacking and defending before scoring a touch. Inexorably, Kim keeps attacking, and grinds her way to a 14-10 lead. My ticker grinds its way into my epiglottis. In the booth, Ivan Lee tells us Becca needs to make a couple of quick attacks off the line to slow Kim’s advance, and then feint the fast attack and take a parry riposte He thinks Becca can still win this bout.

As if listening, Becca makes two back to back fast attacks off the line to close the gap to 12-14. She tries the parry, and misses, but catches a lucky break. The body cord that has been giving her trouble all night faults white, and the point is halted with Kim on the attack. Becca changes the cord, and takes advantage of the new on-guard to launch another fast attack. It’s 13-14. I have no recollection of the next point…just a hazy impression of a light being shone into my right eye and someone saying “Il Morte”, whatever that means.

It’s 14-all. Becca gambles on having one more fast attack left in the tank, and she wins the bout 15-14. The Koreans are waving and gesticulating and demanding a video review. Kim is absolutely distraught. The referee consults, and the point stands. I can’t. Daddy’s Little Drama Queen will be fencing for the Senior World Championship.

Becca and Mariel face off: the only two fencers to ever simultaneously hold four World Championship titles. Mariel is fresh off her Senior World Cup Championship season, and has looked unbeatable in her last two bouts. Becca has to fight from having an adrenaline letdown after her bout with Kim.

Becca scores the first point, and is off to the races. She has a comfortable lead at the break, but my hand is shaking so hard I literally can’t hold my pen in the Fencing Pictures announce booth. Ivan points out that Mariel is rushing her attacks, and Becca is cannily picking her off in preparation. I can’t hear him over the blood rushing in my ears.

After the break, Mariel mounts a charge, and brings it to within a single point. My blood pressure is now 1,203 over an exponential number normally associated with measuring interstellar distances. Becca decides it’s time for the understudy role to be over, and bolts to a 14-11 lead. One more attack, and the bout is over.

Daddy’s Little Drama Queen is the World Champion.

When Becca was very little, her favorite game was to take three giant running bounces on the trampoline, and launch herself high into the air like a flying squirrel, trusting me to catch her before she hit the ground.

On this night in Torino in 2006, Becca lands safely on her own feet after her leap into fencing history. She becomes the only fencer to simultaneously hold all five possible World Championship titles. As I watch her luminous smile up on the big screen during the medal ceremony, I can’t help but superimpose that look of manic glee on her five year old face as she flew towards me from her trampoline.

Once a drama queen, always a drama queen. I suspect the USFA is glad I never dropped her.